Out of the Shadows, the Acts of Paul and Thecla - Hardcover

by Bernard Brandon Scott (Author), Perry V. Kea (Author)

Thecla is one of the strangest characters from Christianity's past. She falls in love with the apostle Paul's teaching on continence, twice faces martyrdom, fights with beasts in the arena, cuts her hair, cross-dresses, baptizes herself, and becomes a preacher. Tertullian tried to silence her story and the Pastoral Epistles warned about women like her. The Acts of Paul and Thecla was widespread and popular but then was hidden away in the Apocrypha. In recent years, Thecla has come out of the shadows. Her story reframes conventional views of second-century Jesus communities. Out of the Shadows offers a vibrant and accessible modern translation and commentary.

Author Biography

Bernard Brandon Scott is the Darbeth Distinguished Professor of New Testament Emeritus at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the author and editor of many books, including Hear Then the Parable (1989), The Trouble with Resurrection (2011), and The Real Paul (2015). He is coauthor with Margaret Lee of Sound Mapping the New Testament (2008, second edition: Cascade, 2022), and coauthor with Erin Vearncombe and Hal Taussig of After Jesus before Christianity (2021).





Perry V. Kea is associate professor emeritus of biblical studies at the University of Indianapolis, Indiana. He participated in several Westar Seminars, including the Jesus Seminar, the Acts Seminar, and the Christianity Seminar. He served as the chair of the board of directors of Westar from 2014 to 2019.